30. Magic
((Author's Note: Also known as a quick Trials of Mana experimental AU with elements of Legend of Mana.))
The sun sets on the kingdom of Plegia, taking the day's fire and heat with it. Robin watches the fading daylight, and how it transforms the world beyond Plegia's castle. Over the walls, the wilds of the kingdom glow and pulse. Half from the shifting daylight, and half from their ambient magic.
The sands of Plegia glow like the embers of a fire, red and orange in the setting sun. The peaks of the dunes blaze, while dark shadows form at the base of the sands. A stray wind picks handfuls of sand off the tops of the desert and lets them dance against a violet sky; a hint of flame seems to hide in the motes, making them glow. The desert is a creature of fire, in that instant.
'Praise to the fire and it's guardian spirit,' Robin focuses on the prayer, and lifts a collection pipes to her lips. They hum with a faint power of their own; there's supposed to be magic in instruments like this, when played right, and meditated on.
At least that's what all the palace scholars say, and sometimes demonstrate with their spells. Their prayers and tribute to the mana spirit of fire have a haunting quality, whenever they play their own pipes. The best Robin can do, by contrast, is avoid any sour notes whenever she plays. The fire has yet to answer her.
Still, she puts all she can into the melody, trying to call out to the dunes and their last blaze of life, against the encroaching night.
'Salamander, who guards the flames so bright, gives us the burning sands by day into night,' She works on the melody, shifting her perch on the windowsill. It feels like that song could carry all the way out to the desert, and the fire mana flickering along the sand. The dunes blaze one last time in the setting sun, and she feels a sudden spike of heat at the tips of her fingertips. Her pulse quickens, as a hum of power blazes through her blood-
In the next breath, that power is snuffed out. The sun vanishes, smothering out the fire along the dunes. And taking whatever hint of magic she feels with it. All she's left with is a deadened feeling on the ends of her fingers, and a hollow space in her chest.
Another failed casting. The daughter of archmages, and she can't even manage a basic conjuration when the air was rife with fire magic.
She's ready to throw the pipes out the window, or dash them against the side of the wall. Robin bites back a frustrated cry, and stows the pipes in the pockets of her robes. She can see the power of mana in her kingdom, feel its faint touch in the world around her… And yet she can never reach out and harness it for herself.
'Child of mages, without a hint of magic to show for it.'
Robin lowers her head, glaring out the window. Below the castle tower, the dunes turn a soft blue and silver. The heat haze vanishes, becoming achingly clear and cold. The setting sun takes one form of mana, and replaces it with another.
'From the fire spirit Salamander, to the water and ice of Undyne.' Even with her temper, she can't snuff out the feeling of awe as the scenery shifts. The desert goes from burning dunes to snow covered hills, ice and snow spreading like pale flowers.
But through it all, the walls of the castle stand firm. The crystals wards crowning the towers blaze like torches, rippling with rainbow hues.
Robin turns her back to the window. Maybe tomorrow, luck will finally turn for her-
Her breath comes out in fog, and Robin's heart almost stops. No matter what extremes happen outside, the castle is supposed to be safe; protected with wards and spells fueled by the wild magic outside, and always in a state of gentle spring weather.
So why has the temperature suddenly plunged? There's even the hint of ice on the glass and walls, something she's never seen before. Robin hesitantly brushes her fingers against the stones, taking in their cold quality.
"Lady Robin?" She flinches at the voice, before turning to see a dark haired mage.
"Please don't fall out of any windows, before I bring you to the king and queen." The mage drawls. "You've been summoned."
Robin tries not to groan at that; a summoning from her parents seldom ends well. Instead, she bows her head, gesturing for the mage to lead the way. The chill follows them down the hall, and even the mage notices with how she rubs at her arms.
"The mana is still weakening… I wonder how much longer before we all turn into icicles or husks." The mage mutters to herself. But she doesn't give Robin a chance to answer that, instead taking her through the castle.
As they walk, torches and candles slowly flicker to life, taking the last traces of fire magic out of the air. They illuminate carvings set into the walls, of fire and ice spirits, undynes and salamanders moving in rings around the other. A reminder that Plegia has always been a land of dualities; desert by day, tundra by night. And always a wasteland of some sort, due to the rampant amounts of mana. But it also means the potential for magic is high.
'Unless you were born like me.' Robin allows herself that one grumble, before focusing on measuring her steps and mastering a composed look, until at last, she steps into the throne room. The great hall opens up with high vaulted ceilings, and generous windows now looking out over snowfields.
With the evening, the character of the room has changed; the rich and opulent red fabrics shift to violet, and shards of crystal wink in the chandeliers overhead, covering the blue tinged room in ever shifting motes of rainbow light. Robin carefully picks her way forward, coming to a stop before a pair of thrones.
This time, it isn't just her mother seated; the larger of the thrones is filled by a dark clad man.
"Father-?" Robin hadn't expected to see him, certain he's in another mood where research or meditation is more important than court. But instead he sits in his throne, narrowing his eyes when she speaks.
"You will address me either as 'your Grace' or 'King Validar.' Need I remind you that we're in the midst of court?"
"O-of course not, fa- your Grace." The shielding against mana is stronger here, but Robin still feels a hint of ice in her blood, as her father watches her. There's something cold and measuring to his gaze. At last Validar bows his head, showing the faintest hint of approval.
"It seems I wasn't mistaken." He murmurs, making Robin narrow her eyes.
"…Your Grace? What do you mean?" She finds herself glancing to the other figure on the thrones, the woman in long violet robes and silks. Her mother has an odd, distant look in her eyes as she watches Robin; it makes her wonder, if there's a toll taken on her mother, from keeping the shield against the elements active at all times.
And at the moment, her mother also doesn't speak over Validar.
"Robin, you know that my travels take me out of Plegia." Validar said, as though he's explaining things to a rather slow child. "Into the wider world of Fa'Diel. To see if the infidels have anything worth knowing."
"You… Discovered something, sir?" Robin asks, and Validar nods in approval.
"We have mana in plenty up here, it's true… But there is a power beyond even that. The reason these mana spirits came into existence was because of," he pauses, waiting to see if Robin can keep up. And from a distant memory, she remembers reading stories in the castle library.
"Because… Of a battle between the goddess of mana, and ancient beasts."
"Benevodons." Validar puts a name to them. "She needed her own agents to fight against such beasts, though in the end she could only seal them away… And among them, chief and greatest of the calamities caused by the beasts, was one leader. A great dragon."
"Grima." Robin finishes. Her fingers twitch, like they're turning the pages of an old book once again. She can picture the illustrations, the artist's impression of the great monster; a black and violet dragon with shadowy breath and hints of other elements.
"Smart girl." Validar congratulates her. "And since the goddess failed to kill these creatures, it's possible for US to awaken them."
Robin stares at that, a shudder working its way up her back. At first she's certain she's misheard him, but there's a hard light to his eyes. An ambitious look clouding his features, and he doesn't speak again. Waiting for her answer.
"H-have you taken leave of your senses!? Even if you could awaken a monster like that, how could you control it?" Instead of answering, Validar gives her another measuring look… And asks a question of his own.
"Haven't you ever wondered at your lack of magic?" Robin squirms under the question.
"I-I thought I was making progress-"
"You are ill suited to directly channeling fire and ice magic, as it turns out." Validar sighed out… And yet there's a flicker of pride in his eyes. "Because your nature is tied to a greater power. A darker one… A fragment of Grima. Which makes you ideal for awakening the beast, and giving us our weapon."
There is more than a hint of ice in her blood, now. Validar has to have taken leave of his senses… And yet there's a measured quality to his words, and his eyes seem to pierce right through her as they measure her up. His smirk only grows as he speaks.
"We don't know how well your body will fare against such a ceremony of course… But for the glory of Plegia, we all need to accept sacrifices."
"Mother, you can't possibly agree to this!" Robin desperately says… But in answer, her mother's head does a slow swivel towards her, almost like it is pulled along on a string. Her eyes can't seem to focus on Robin, and when she speaks there was an odd, fogged quality to her words.
"Child, it is for the glory of Plegia."
"And we've already found records of the Benevodon." Validar continues. "A portion of it lays beneath our very castle, ready to be awakened. And with your help… Well, once we've brought the other kingdoms around us to heel, we'll have enough mana to fuel thousands of spells, and bring even greater glory to our kingdom."
'He's not promising glory; it's only going to end in madness and destruction. The texts were clear on that.' And yet, Validar seems to have deluded himself into thinking otherwise.
"I refuse!" Robin shouts out, earning a glower from Validar.
"…Do you truly think you have a choice? Or that your life would have any meaning without serving us?" His words make her freeze, and to her shame, Robin feels tears stinging the corners of her eyes. "You still can't use magic. Your affinity towards shadow does us little good, left to molder away behind these walls. This is a chance to make something of yourself, and erase the initial shame of your birth."
The words are like a blow, and leave a strange buzzing sensation in Robin's head. Validar rises as he speaks, taking one step towards her with each word.
"Now. Enough stalling, and come with me. Your destiny awaits."
"No!" All her words desert her, except for one. And that word has the power of a shout… Or the blast of a single note. When she screams it out, a sudden surge of energy shoots from her heart and through her limbs.
The room goes dark around her, while her own skin seems to glow almost painfully bright for a moment. Validar spits out a curse, running forward to try to catch her. Instead, Robin throws her hands up, and a bright light flares off her body, blinding her and blurring all of her surroundings. The world drops out all around her, leaving Robin floating in a strange void.
Her one thought through all of that, is that somehow, for the first time, she's worked magic.
But now, she needs to find a way out of this place, away from her father. To somewhere safe-
Magic screams past Robin, and it feels like she tumbles past the palace and down a strange tunnel that leads through the heart of Fal'Diel. Images flash by her; a great tree rising into the clouds, with a white dragon coiled around the base. A sword resting amongst pools of clear water and weaving, moss clad roots. Crimson birds that dart past her, as though in a race.
This is a teleportation spell, Robin faintly realizes; though the sights around her dim all her thoughts.
The world of Fa'Diel spreads out below her, pristine… And yet oddly fragile looking, like she's staring at a world of vibrant glass, with hairline cracks beginning to show at the edges. Plegia's pale snow fields seem to carry smudges of black, and there's a sharp edge to the ice; the place has lost any majesty it once held, looking cold and hostile instead. The red birds dart past her, drawing her eye to a different land, across mountains and water from Plegia. It's a rolling, green place, filled with more trees than even the palace gardens and orchards can boast. And there is a figure walking among them. He climbs a mountain path, on a peak that almost touches the sky, and his white cape tangles and snaps in the wind-
And he suddenly yanks his head up, staring up at her with startled blue eyes. It all happens a split second before Robin finds herself crashing down.
'Spirits! Let me down gently!' She throws out her hands at the thought, trying to find some way to cushion her fall.
The magic listens to her, dispersing in a sudden rush that takes most of her breath with it, and leaves her hair tangled. The world snaps back into clarity around her… Without a trace of snow or desert. Instead, a gentle, cool breeze brushes strands of hair from her face. It helps her breathe, and for a moment Robin forgets the ice in her blood, the dread pooling in her heart; something about this place feels like it is ill-suited for Validar, and that he'd have a difficult time following her-
"H-hey!" Though it quickly becomes clear that even if she's teleported away from Validar, she still isn't alone. She tries to find the speaker, and even the faintest turn of her head almost sends Robin crashing over.
Robin's feet give a wobble, uncertain if there's any strength left to hold her up after that burst of magic. She tilts towards the ground, and prays that wherever she'd found herself, it has a soft floor… But she never makes it all the way down.
Instead a set of arms wrap around her.
"…Unbelievable. I go out patrolling to fight monsters, and find magic users instead." The voice continues, right next to her ear. "Emm wasn't exaggerating when she said the world is getting stranger."
"Who…?" Robin tries to ask, and furiously blinks her eyes to better see. The world is bright around her, and tinged with green. She gradually picks out who is holding her up; a young man, clad in silvery armor and blue fabric, with a cape that easily catches the wind. The same one from her vision… And thankfully looking unbruised, even with Robin's rough landing.
"You… You are-" She recognizes that outfit from books, though she's never seen it first hand. She's never gotten to set foot outside the borders of Plegia, and yet now she finds herself well away from the castle.
"You're… Ylissean." Her mouth finds the words. She takes in more of her surroundings, and the reaching cliffs, while grass rustles and brushes at her boots and the hems of her robes. "Did I make it to… To Ylisse, of all places?"
The young man nods, brushing blue hair out of his face as he looks over Robin and takes in the quality of her robes.
"And you're… Plegian? Spirits, you're a long way from home!" There's a clear curiosity to him, as he looks over her appearance. "I… I've never seen a Plegian mage, before. Do you always teleport around without warning?"
Robin tries to answer, only for the world to spin around her, and she collapses against the young man's arms.
"…Gods, do the cliffs always spin around like that?" Her voice sounds oddly muffled, and the young man gives a muttered curse when her fingers brush over his skin.
"You're burning up. Quick, get your arm around my shoulders; I'll see about getting you someplace safe." Whoever this person is, he doesn't leave a lot of room to argue. He's already drawing her arm around him, helping to hold her up. And Robin herself can't protest; that first rush of magic has taken its toll on her-
And yet, she can't keep from smiling for an instant, even though she knows she looks like a dazed fool.
'Magic. I finally channeled my own magic.' And with any luck, this stranger will be right, that she's found herself somewhere safe.
-o-o-o-
Chrom has never seen a Plegian mage before; he's also never seen the winds shift and blow so erratically about Ylisse. The windstorms are supposed to be a blessing Jinn. (Or Sylphid; the sacred texts never seem to agree on the name.) They're meant to help shelter their kingdom, rather than turn into such an unpredictable mess.
And 'unpredictable' has been the only constant in his life, right now. First the chaos of his father disappearing, the rumors of a fell dragon stirring in its sleep, only to be sealed away… And the ascension of his own sister to the throne. And now, mages from a different nation drop out of the sky, without any strength left to walk.
"At least you're not as heavy as you look." Chrom says, earning a grumble from the stranger; but it's true, that most of the weight seems to be her coat, while she's little more than skin and bones. It's a lucky thing she DOES cling onto him, otherwise one of the gusts might very well pick her up, and blow her off the mountain.
Just to be certain, he tightens his grip on her.
"Not much further now." He says, half to himself and half to her. The trail back to the castle is one full of twists and turns, the path like ribbon draped across the rocky crags. "Just hang in there, mage."
"Rmmbn." Her reply is almost lost over the rustling branches, forming a green canopy overhead.
"What-?"
"Robin. My name." Her reply is broken and half coherent, as she slumps against him. But he's still able to make out some of the words.
"Ah… Well, okay, Robin." At least now he has a name. It gives his stride a little extra reach, as the castle slowly rises into view above the peaks. In a short time, the only thing left to cross is the bridge, spanning the gap between two mountains. The planks creak underneath his feet, the ropes giving soft complaints of their own. The sound prompts Robin to lift her head… And realize just how far they are off the ground. Beneath the planks, stretches a long expanse of nothing, save for a whistling wind. Blue ocean and skies frame them on either side, something Robin doesn't take well to, with how she clings onto Chrom.
"…N-never mind. I want to go back to Plegia. Dying by magic is better than dying by falling." She blurts out. It makes Chrom freeze in his footsteps. But he also knows that he can't afford to pause on the bridge, much as he wants to question Robin. It's too fragile of an area-
And the worst place to be found by any roving monsters.
A blur of feathers shoots past his head, along with a sabre-like beak that tries to bury itself in his skull. Chrom has to drop to the planks, as a needle beak shoots past him with an angry whirr of wings. Something else smacks against the wooden floor, making the planks jolt underneath him, and he yanks his hand aside to avoid more sharp tipped beaks piercing through the bridge. There's an entire flock of the things, agitated and looking for a target they can attack.
"Sorry!" He has time to tell Robin, before dropping her on the planks. In response she clings to the bridge ropes, watching him draw his blade. The sword isn't much more than a guard's weapon, and he finds himself longing for more regal equipment… But the steel still cuts into the needle beaks. He shears away feathers, sending two of the birds plummeting into the abyss.
'Where's the third-?' He wonders, only for something to slam into his back, hard enough to draw blood. Chrom collapses, his sword rattling across the bridge and coming to a rest out of reach. The needle beak soars above him, ready to plunge back down and skewer him-
A trail of strange, dark fire meets the monster halfway through its plunge, singing feathers and knocking it out of the sky. Chrom's back burns as he fights his way up, and turns around to meet Robin. There's a faint whistle in the air, and he sees a set of pipes clutched tight in her fingers.
"It worked-?" Robin wheezes out, looking half shocked that she's managed to cast a spell.
"What do you mean 'worked?'" Chrom asked. "That was… Incredible! I've never seen magic like that."
It seems Robin has her own share of shock. Like she's still new to magic.
"Are such creatures common here?" She asks instead, as Chrom retrieves his sword.
"They're agitated; like there's something out of balance." He tells her. Chrom watches a few left over feathers, dancing on the breeze. "And there's been more and more attacks on patrols and travelers. We… Need to do something about that."
He scoops Robin back up, helping her drop the pipes back into her pocket.
"Perhaps… I can help you with that. Something's been throwing my kingdom out of balance as well." Her words come out a bit more slowly, and he can feel her relax against him; likely drained from everything that's happened.
Chrom finds himself nodding, helping Robin off the bridge and towards the castle gates.
"We need all the help we can get right now." And he can't help but feel a sense of interest with this girl, and hope that she might be willing to talk. Hopefully, after she wakes up, given that he can feel her nodding off against him.
-o-o-o-
Robin blinks her eyes back open to a place she's never seen; there's echoes of Plegia's opulence, of golden decorations, but trimmed with green fabrics and favoring designs of trees and silvery embroidery that suggest breezes of wind.
'Wind and wood…' She remembers the elementals. And just like that, it catches up to her, that she's found herself in the kingdom of Ylisstol. She bolts upright, as covers shift and fall about her. The details of how she got here slam back into her memory, right as she stands up.
This time, her feet thankfully hold, but not without some scuffling. She tries walking, only to almost get a door almost smashing into her face as it flies open, and shows the young man from the forest on the other side.
"Chrom!?" Comes a worried voice from the other side. "We need to find Lissa! Why are you wandering off-?"
"Because…" Chrom motions to the inside of the room, where Robin stands. Over his shoulder, Robin spots a woman with long blonde hair, and worried eyes. "Emm, I guess it's time for you to meet the Plegian mage. Robin."
For her part, Emmeryn gives Robin a measuring look… But with a strange look of pity in her eyes, as well. She looks oddly serene, with a golden crown resting on her head; she has the look of royalty, much like Robin's own mother.
"The exile from the mage nation." Emmeryn names her.
"…Why did you want to see me?" Robin tries not to squirm under Emmeryn's gaze.
"Well, my brother Chrom spoke highly of you, and how you saved his life." Robin tries not to double take at that, staring between Emmeryn, and the man who is apparently her brother; he doesn't exactly look the part of a prince. Neither does he act in a way she'd expect from royalty.
'But maybe that's for the best.'
She doesn't miss the glance between Emmeryn and Chrom; looking uneasy, like they were feeling their way across thin ice.
"And… You feel well, it seems. Not the worse for your ordeal, or with how long you rested."
Unease takes root in Robin's throat.
"How… Long have I been out?"
"Three days." Chrom is blunt with her, and the weight of how long she's been out hits her hard. In just two hours, she's had her old life torn away, and found herself in a new kingdom; she dreads to think of what's happened in seventy-two hours. On reflex, her hand goes up to her throat, only to find it unharmed, and her limbs unfettered.
"I'm surprised you didn't slit my throat while I slept," she starts to say, only to pause at Emmeryn's horrified look.
"I-is that how diplomacy works in Plegia?" Emmeryn asks. "We've seen movements along their borders, forces marshalling at the shores… But we weren't about to execute you for the crime of being born in a rival country."
"…They're going to be more than a rival country, soon enough." Robin mutters. She feels a momentary pang of guilt, for being so free with the information. But she also remembers the hungry look in Validar's eyes, the cold quality of his voice, and the way her own mother was little more than a bystander. She forces herself to raise her head, and look the two siblings in the eyes.
"The king of Plegia plans-"
She starts to say, but a screel of wild music halts her words… As does an explosion of fire outside. The shudder of the spells slam into Robin's ears, and makes the windows to the room all fly open; heat lashes her skin… And outside, she can see that night sky is painted orange and red.
Any warning she was trying to give, comes too late.
Chrom is like a cat on his feet, spinning towards the door and drawing the sword at his side. Beyond, Robin picks out figures clad in violet silks, fire and ice at their fingertips.
"Chrom, don't waste your energy on fighting them!" Emmeryn tries to warn, but with an angry howl he throws himself at the mages. Emmeryn can only watch, unable to match his speed or fury. Instead, she looks back to Robin, desperation showing clear on her face.
"Please, go after him-!" She begs Robin… But still Robin hesitates.
"But, I'm Plegian-" Robin starts to protest… Only for a pair of mages to sweep into the room.
It's terrifying, how fast her fingers find the pipes in her pocket, and how the magic leaps to her fingers. How she takes in their cold eyed looks for only a moment, before she lashes back at them. A part of Robin feels sick, that she can turn against her countrymen in an instant. Another part of her sees echoes of Validar in their expressions, and she can't blot that threat out quick enough. This time it's a shadow-stained ice that answers her call, freezing the mages in place, and coating the area in frost.
"…You've also saved my family twice now." Emmeryn tells her, as the magic dies in a crackle of ice. "I don't know what the rest of Ylisse is doing against these invaders, but I need to ensure that-"
That Chrom is safe. Robin nods, feels the restless energy still in her limbs, desperate for an outlet. She dashes out the room, as Emmeryn calls out to her to follow the carvings; that's likely what will lead her to Chrom.
As she races down the castle passages, the super-heated air burns at her lungs, urges her to hurry. There's shadows of combatants etched on the walls and pillars, crumbled shapes that could be bodies. All of it turns her stomach, reminding her that the world is slowly going mad…
…Though she feels a moment of stability when she bursts out of the hallway, and sees Chrom is still alive. He stands in the depths of the castle, staring at an ancient bit of machinery; the remains of a broken crystal still glow in a mangled socket, giving his eyes a desperate quality.
"Chrom-?" He whirls at that, hand on sword… But stills when he sees her face. Rage twists across his features.
"We're overrun by Plegian mages! Did they send you as an advanced scout?" He spits out… And those words cut at her.
"I…" Robin tries to shake her head… Only to freeze as the point of Chrom's sword flashes up to her neck. He glares at her, daring her to attack… And yet, Robin's magic doesn't answer her. Instead, she stares back at Chrom, letting her body go limp.
"I don't want anything to do with them, or their plans! Validar has gone mad… And it feels like I can't run far enough from them!" Tears sting at the edges of her eyes as she speaks. She hates how they blur her vision, and yet through them, she can see Chrom lowering the blade.
"Chrom…" There's a strange echo around them, that seems to resonate from the shards of the crystal. Robin recognizes Emmeryn's voice, though there's a strange, pained quality to it. Another cold weight sinks into her stomach, and Chrom freezes as well. "I sense… Robin has found you. The energy in the generator room is rich with mana."
Chrom swallows, trying to find words as he whirls around and drops his blade. The air almost burns at their skin, while the castle gives an odd groan; like the stones themselves are burning and melting.
"Listen; time is drawing short on us." Emmeryn continues. "The kingdom is falling… And Lissa has gone missing."
"I only caught the briefest glimpse of her, before the crystal shattered." Chrom whispers.
"I can spirit you away, before the castle falls; one of us needs to survive, and tell the other kingdoms what's coming. I've told the others to flee… And I won't let you pointlessly give up your life."
Before Chrom can argue, can raise his voice in protest, the crystal fragments around them flare. Robin recognizes the glow; it's the same light that surrounded her, before her jump across Fa'Diel-
And then, for the second time, the world drops out around her. The only thing solid is Chrom, and by reflex she grabs onto him, half afraid he might get lost in the spell.
When the magic disperses, she finds herself resting on the rocks… With Chrom close by, curled up in a mixture of shock and grief.
She doesn't know how long they lay there on the cliffs, until Chrom at last pulls himself back up. There's a haunted look in his face, as he looks back towards the castle, and the veil of black smoke draped across it.
"I… I was supposed to be looking for my sister Lissa, before everything went wrong." He whispers. "I saw her surrounded by mages, in the wind chamber. They were pressuring her, forcing her to permanently destroy the machine. And then…"
"…And then Plegia came, to conquer your kingdom and take whatever mana they could find." Robin finishes the thought, and hangs her head. "I should've warned you. But I didn't think they'd be capable of… That anyone would be so ruthless…"
Chrom holds a hand up, pausing her.
"It was wrong of me, to lash out at you." Chrom says at last, slowly turning to watch Robin. "You kept me alive, when my kingdom was falling around me. And I suspect the only reason I'm in one piece after that teleport is thanks to you."
"What will you do now?" Robin askes.
"…Find answers." Chrom is decisive in that. "Even if I have to go alone… Though… I would ask if, even after everything, you might go with me?"
"I… Do owe you my life." She murmurs, wondering at how her feet stay rooted to the spot, instead of fleeing.
"I'd sooner have your loyalty." Chrom tells her, his voice low and fierce. "Don't follow me, because you feel obligated. Follow me because there's trust. Because…" And here, his voice hitches. "Because we need to make this right, and no one else can."
Robin worries, when she puts her hand on his shoulder, that he might flinch away. Instead, he claps his hand over hers, and there's a desperate strength in how he clutches at her.
"I swear, we'll make it right." Robin tells him. They stand there for some time, two people against a mad world. Chrom can only nod at that… And desperate as everything is, Robin is glad she's stumbled into his company. And that her magic can serve in a better cause, instead of anything her father has planned.
Chrom gives her hand one last squeeze, before turning them to the mountain path; at the bottom of the cliffs she can see the beginnings of a harbor town. A start to a journey, she thinks.
"Glad to have you along." Chrom tells her.
"In spite of everything?"
"Because of everything." Chrom corrects her, his voice going more gentle. "At least we won't be facing this on my own. And it's good to know I have a mage on my side."
She'll need to get used that, Robin thinks. Being considered a mage, instead of a disgrace. But that change isn't such a bad thing; neither is finally having a companion at her side.